This invention relates to a pre-cast concrete step shelter that is relatively inexpensive and can be efficiently used with existing homes or new home construction. There are many storm shelters on the market that offer protection from storms or tornadoes and which can include basements involving excavations or expensive structures requiring building permits and extensive materials and expensive construction costs. There are homes that are located in areas where excavations are not possible and there are other homes where, for economic reasons, excavations are not practicable. The danger to individuals living in a home without some type of excavated structure nearby can be high, especially in those areas where tornadoes and high wind storms are common place. The need exists, therefore, for a low cost storm shelter that will provide temporary shelter in the event of a tornado or high wind storm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,837 provides a storm shelter for use with a mobile home. It requires an excavation and the construction of a structure that is set into the excavation. In addition, it may not be feasible with existing mobile homes without the necessity and expense of moving the mobile home before constructing the excavation and the structure.
One object of the present invention is to provide a low cost, efficient concrete shelter that can be easily added to existing mobile homes, modular homes, or other homes without basements and be easily incorporated into new homes. Another object of the invention is to provide a shelter that is simple in design and economical to construct and is easily accessible.
The pre-cast concrete step shelter includes a plurality of steps, sidewalls, and top and back walls enclosing an area large enough to fit at least one adult or at least 10 ft3. One of the side walls includes an opening having a height of at least 16xe2x80x3 preferably at least 20xe2x80x3 and a width of at least 16xe2x80x3 preferably at least 20xe2x80x3. The depth of the opening would be the same depth of the side wall and there would be a means for closing the opening. The means for closing the opening would preferably be comprised of a steel door that would be hinged to the side wall adjacent to the opening in such a way that the door could be rotated around the hinge for entry and exit from outside the shelter. It is important that the door include a latching means wherein the latching means is attached to the door so that it can be latched from the inside and from the outside. As a safety feature, no locking means would be provided, thus preventing someone from being locked into the storm shelter from the inside or the outside. The shelter should be constructed so that it could be anchored into the ground and the means for anchoring would include a step anchor connection preferably eye bolts rigidly attached to the steps and an attachment means such as a cable, metal strap, or a chain suitable for attachment to an anchor-stake for anchoring the shelter.
The structure is formed by utilizing a standard mold for casting a monolithic concrete stair structure having an plurality of steps, sidewalls, and top and bottom walls. The mold further comprises inner and outer forms having side members for forming said sidewalls and center members for forming said steps and top and back walls of the structure. The molds should further include the spacing member having a height of at least 16xe2x80x3 and a width of at least 16xe2x80x3. The spacing member would be attached between the inner and outer forms to the side members on one side of the forms so that an opening would be formed on one side of the step shelter structure.
A further safety feature of the pre-cast invention is to add the name of the company xe2x80x9cLIFE SHIELDxe2x80x9d in reflective paint to the rear of the step shelter. The reflective paint is added to the rear of the shelter so that it would not be subjected to wear from weather but would be exposed in the event that the home was destroyed. The reflective paint would be exposed, alerting authorities searching for survivors at night.